Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

न भुंक्ते पृथिवीपालो न राज्यं बहु मन्यते । न दारैर्विद्यते कार्यं नाश्वैर्न च गजै रथैः

Transliteration

na bhuṃkte pṛthivīpālo na rājyaṃ bahu manyate | na dārairvidyate kāryaṃ nāśvairna ca gajai rathaiḥ

Translation

Der Beschützer der Erde aß nicht und achtete sein Reich nicht mehr hoch. Er sah keinen Zweck in Ehefrauen, noch in Pferden, Elefanten oder Wagen.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• bhuṃkte: enjoys/consumes
• bhuṃkte: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• pṛthivīpālaḥ: king (protector of the earth)
• pṛthivīpālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पृथिव्याः पालः)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• rājyam: kingdom
• rājyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• bahu: much/greatly
• bahu: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (राज्यम्)

• manyate: thinks/esteems
• manyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• dāraiḥ: with wives
• dāraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• vidyate: exists/is found
• vidyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः (exists/is found)

• kāryam: purpose/need
• kāryam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• aśvaiḥ: with horses
• aśvaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• na: nor/not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• gajaiḥ: with elephants
• gajaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• rathaiḥ: with chariots
• rathaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic reciter, contextually Sūta-like narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king sits with untouched food, crown set aside, gaze fixed toward the silent hybrid woman; behind him, symbols of power—horses, elephants, chariots—fade into irrelevance.

Characters & Entities

• pṛthivīpāla (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True value is not in sovereignty or luxury; compassion and dharma can eclipse worldly attachments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode belongs to Prabhāsa Kṣetra’s Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it portrays inner renunciation triggered by a sacred-miraculous encounter.